The 50th Quarter Quell
by krisnick1009
Summary: Klaire Lockhearst has been reaped for the 50th Hunger Games, but its a Quarter Quell and the odds are definitely not in her favor.
1. The Reaping

I wake up to hazy sunshine outside my window. I slowly stretch and rub my eyes. Today is the reaping. Once a year a boy and girl from ages 12-18 are chosen as "tributes" from each of the twelve districts in Panem to enter The Hunger Games. A televised battle to the death with 24 tributes total. This year is the 50th Hunger Games. A Quarter Quell. This year the Capitol will do something different. None of us know yet, it will be announced at the reaping by our district escort. This is my second reaping in district 10. Up until I was 16 my family and I lived in district 6. An accident there left my parents disabled and evetually, dead. My brother and I were transported to live in district 10 with my grandparents. My grandparents are of the few wealthy people in this district. They have the largest farm and they specially breed their animals. My brother and I have had it easy here. In school some kids are espessially jealous. Not only do we live with some of the richest people in the district, but we are also twins and always have each other to keep company. We havent had a reason to make friends because we were always together. My grandma is standing in front of my open closet, pulling out the most expensive clothes. She notices Im awake and holds up a black dress with 3/4 sleeves that would go just past my knees.  
"What do you think of this dress, Klaire?" It has large purple roses all over it with a black belt at the waist. No one in district 10 has dresses with such vibrant and colorful patterns. I would look like a fool. I swing my legs over my bed and Im about to refuse. She sees this and quickly pulls out black shoes that match with a with a purple stap and small heel. She looks at me pleadingly and I know she wont take no for an answer. I sigh and say "If only it were for a different ocasion," She gives a small smile, drapes the dress over a chair, and quietely leaves the room. I stand and study the dress for a little while. Something about it seems familiar but I brush it aside and go to wash. My grandfather is in the kitchen preparing though we have plenty food we hardly ever eat a real meal because theres work to be done early. Hes already in his nicest clothes. I hardly ever see him dressed up, hes always in his dirty overalls and boots from working on the farm. I pass Zads room and hes still in bed, his clothes are hanging on the dresser knobs. Once Im done cleaning myself up I stalk back to my room. This time theres stockings over the chair as well. I pull on the stockings, slide the dress on over my head, and slip on the shoes. Im just pulling my long mix of dirty blonde and brown hair out of the back of my dress when theres a knock on the door. "Klaire I have a few things for you," says my grandmother through the door. I rush to unlock the door and she brushes past and places a wooden box on my desk. She pulls the chair in front of it and pats the cushion. I instinctively sit down in it. Without a word she pulls out a lipstick, blush, and mascara container. Now Ill definetly look out of place. "Purse your lips," she instructs. After a few minutes she sticks a mirror in front of my face. My lips are a pale pink, and so are my checks. My lashes look huge in camparison to the short lashes most people in district 10 have. "Well, what do you think?"  
I hesitate and say "Suprisingly good,". She laughs and pulls out a hair brush. The bristles are from our own horses. She lightly detangles my very knotty hair carefully and stands back. "Should we leave it down?" she asks. I shrugh and a lightbulb goes off in her head as she grabs the sides of my hair. She lightly twists them and pins them at the back of my head, almost touching each other. She pulls out my fringe which is shorter than the rest of my hair, it reaches my chin while the rest reaches my bottom. She parts it on the side and pulls out more hair on the other side. She reaches in the box and pulls out two clips with small white bows attatched. She pins them at either side where the twisted hair ends. She brushes the rest of my hair. "There you go," she says as we both look at my reflection. "I should see how Zadian is doing," she says and leaves the room. I look at my clock above my bed. Its 12 oclock. We must be at the Town Square by 2. I peer out my door and across the my grandma and my grandpa have to help Zad into his collared shirt, plain black pants and loafers. His shirt also vibrant, bright red, very expensive. I see that the pail we keep by the back door is empty, its usually filled with berries. I check to see if anyone sees me, which they dont, and go outside, bucket in hand.I walk down the path to the stables, which is also overlooking a blueberry patch. Some of the horses whinny as I pass, but the goats and pigs seem indifferent. I place the bucket on the ground next to the rock Im sitting on while I grab handful after handful of berries. The back door opens and my grandma comes out with a few carrots for the horses. I try to keep quitet but she notices me. "Klaire what are you doing?" she says "Youll soil your dress!" I jump up and grab the bucket. "Im sorry!"  
I say "There werent any berries!" She shakes her head and says "Klaire we dont need berries for tonight. We are going to the mayors house for dinner after the reaping, dont you remember?" My face feels hot but I calmly shrug my shoulders and say "It couldnt hurt to get them early," and stalk back up the path.

My family and I are waiting at the edge of the street in front of our house. Im fiddling with the clutch my grandma gave me to put small items in. A peacekeeper friend of my grandpa promised to bring us to the Town Square in his car. We are wealthy, but only pacekeepers have cars here. It dosent matter though, mostly everyone in district 10 uses their livestock for transportation. Zad is standing a few feet away from us, next to the front steps. I walk over to him and sit on the first step. I expect him to do the same but hes zoned out, staring at the grass. Im not surprised, the reaping takes a toll on everyone. I put my chin in my hands when I hear a familiar motor. Ive been in it a couple other times before. Grandma turns around and motions for us to come over. "Come on Zad, we gotta go," I say and we both reach our grandparents just as the car rounds the corner. My grandfather sits in the passenger seat and Zad, grandma and I squeeze into the back. The car starts down thestreet towards the Town Square. Grandpa and the peacekeeper make small talk, but Im just staring out the window. Even though its not my first time, the speed of thecar fascinates me as we zip past houses in seconds. It doesnt take long to reach the Town Square at the speed. Were early, its one 1:15. It says so on my watch.  
It was a gift that grandma got from the finest jewler in the district on my first birthday here, my seventeenth one. The peacekeeper bids us goodbye and goes to work.  
"Meet us right here when youre done," my grandma says. Her and grandpa find a spot stading at the back of the square. Zad and I walk up to the table where the peacekeepers will account for us. Zad seems nervous around the needles so I go in front of him. I give him a reassuring look as the peacekeeper takes my finger, pricks it, and presses my hand onto a booklet. He clears me and I wait for Zad. He joins me with small traces of tears in his eyes. "Dont worry" I say while looking straight ahead "Theres thousands of names in there, and more than once. We didnt even get a tasserae." He looks a little better now and we both part ways, finding our spots with the 18 year olds, up front. As I wait for 2:00 I watch workers set up the screens and cameras, and watch more and more people arrive. The bowls on the stage that store the possible triutes names looks emptier than it should be, but I ignore it. Im not very good at guessing amounts anyways. Once everyone is accounted for the mayor makes the same speech each district does at each reaping. The speech that explains the rebellion years ago, and how The Hunger Games were created to prevent another one. Kids around me look either terrified, or very angry, but I for one dont get worked up too easily. Our district escort who Ive never bothered to learn his name, steps up to the podium. He greets us in his cheery, capitol accent. "As you know," he says "This year is a Quarter Quell!" He looks around expectantly as if he wants us to cheer. He clears his throat and continues. "This year the tribute pool consists of opposite gender siblings!" This time he actually claps a little to urgently and yet again no one joins in. I feel my stomach start to ache and I feel dizzy. Paniced, I try to find Zad but his short body must be hidden behind the larger boys. I look behind me but my grandparents just stare blankly at the man onstage. I turn back and kids around me all relax. They dont have an oppisite gender sibling, like me. "Well" the escort says a little to loudly "Lets pick our female tribute!" A blue tinged capitol hand reaches into the bottom of the bowl and pulls out a slip of paper. Only few of the people around me hold their breathes. The escort unfolds the paper and smirks at the audience and I fear I may have a heart attack if he stalls any longer. "Klaire Lockhearst" I feel the weight of a thousand eyes on my back. This time I see Zad and we both realize, if Im reaped, then he is too. 


	2. To the Capitol

I still see Zad staring into my eyes with his. His eyes are almost dialated completely and I realize, I have to be strong. For him. I gulp back my terror, push my shoulders back, and lift my chin. It isnt too hard for a person like me. I stare straight at the doors to the Justice Building as I walk up to the stage, and avoid all eye contact on my way up the steps. The escort offers me a hands but ignore it, looking out over the thousands of heads before me.

"Klaire Lockhearst," he says. His voice rising at the end as if hes asking a question. "You have a male sibling I see," he says "Older or younger?" When I turn my head hes smiling expectantly at me and Id rather punch him and go to jail then spend my last days in the Capitol with his kind.

I scowl at him and turn my head back to the audience before answering "Twin,"

He gasps slightly and the kids that know us look straight at my brother. "How exciting?" the escort says and claps to himself. He looks expectantly at me again as if Im the escort and hes the very cheerful tribute. "Well whats his name, dear?" I feel like lying but that could only go so far.

Avoiding Zads gaze I blankly state "Zadian Lockhearst."

The escort laughs and says "Well Zadian come on up here, boy!" I dont watch as Zad makes his way to the stage. I only turn my head when I feel his prescence on the opposite side of the escort. The escort grabs our hands and loudly states "Lets hear it for our tributes, the Lockhearst twins!" I look for my grandpa-  
rents and they look calm, but when I look down I see that theyre squeezing each others hands so tightly they might burst. Theyre not just losing one child as a tribute, but two. Not another word is spoken before peacekeepers open the doors behind us and lead us to an empty sitting room in the Justice Building. They lock the door behind usand when I turn around Zad is having an anxiety attack.

"Zad" I say as I grab his hands and lead him to the velvet couch that not even my family could afford. "Zad we'll be alrigh-"

"No were not!" he innterrupts. Reality sets in and I feel panic rising in me too, which is rare.

My lips temble as I say "We just have to calm down and figure soemthing out,"

He lets out a sobs "No, Klaire at least one of us will be dead in a few weeks,"

I let out a sob as well and I dont know what to say. I look around the room but none of these riches put me at ease. "What-what do we do?" I ask more to myself then to him.

"I dont know yet" he says and he burys his face in his arms.

I figure we'll have time to talk to my grandparents about it once they are let in here. I hear a knock at the door and my grandparents stand in the doorway. The peacekeeper that escorted them is the one that drove us here today. He whispers something to grandpa and shuts the door behind them. I wrap my arms around both of them and Zad wraps his arms around me. We stand like that for what feels like hours until my grandparents sit on the couch opposite the one Zad and I sit on.

I hesitate before I ask "What will you do when we're gone?"

Grandma lets out a cry and says "Dont talk like that darling, youll be fine," She sniffles and my grandpa rubs her arm with tears spilling over the edges of his eyes. Its silent again until my grandmother reaches into her pocket.

"Klaire and Zad" she says as if shes answering a question about us. She opens her hand and and in it sits two rings. I immediately recognize them. My parents wedding rings. "Take these into the arena" she says placing my fathers in Zads hand. She goes to offer me my mothers but I pull away.

"You cant expect me to wear that!" I say a little too loudly.

"Klaire, you know your mother wouldve wanted you to have it-"

"No." I say harshly. "She, THEY were traitors! They supported the Capitol! The Games!" This time Im screaming.

My grandpa closes his eyes which pushes more tears down his face. I have to take it. For them. I snatch the ring from my grandmas palm and stuff it in my pocket.

"This isnt for them, you know" I say. "Its for yo-" I feel a sudden rush of tears and cover my mouth with my hand.

My grandpa rubs my arm this time. "We love you, both of you" he says. We continue to sit in silence until the same peacekeeper opens the door. He motions for my grandparentsto leave. I keep sitting but when they are almost out of the room I jump up and and reach for them. The peacekeeper looks at me painfully and slams the door, and I have to yank my hand away to avoid getting it crushed.

I sit in my compartment on a train. Its even faster than the car, and I feel sick. The escort whos name is actually Thorburn says that our mentors will meet us at dinner in an hour. From what I can tell by the interior of the train, the food must be Capitol food. I cant even imagine what it could be, and I hope it isnt disgusting. I havent paid very special attention the the mentors in district 10, Ive only lived here two years, but I know that there is at least two mentors. One for Zad, and one for me. Zads room is on the opposite side of the train. I would go visit him, but I admit, Im scared to venture out in front of Thorburn and possibly the other mentors until Im told to. I showered in the bathroom attatched to my room. In a drawer there were bunches of brushes, but none of them had horse bristles, like the ones at home. I settled for one with plastic bristiles. It hurt and tore out some of my hair. There was a machine made for hair drying but there were so many buttons that Id rather not try to figure out. I pile my hair on top of my head in a bun so it dosent get water on my back. Back in my room theres a dresser filled with clothes. None of them suit my taste, but I cant wear my reaping dress again, its already wrinkled and in the laundry chute. Never to return back to me. It might as well be a trash chute. Everything in the dresser is tight or uncomfortable or just plain stupid looking. I dig underneath them but then I start to just throw the Capitol clothes on the ground. They were getting in the way and I dont give a damn about them. At the bottom I find clothes that resemble the ones in district 10. I settle on a pleated pale yellow blouse with buttons and denim jeans. Somehow I find normal black flats so I wear those. Luckily my hair is dry and not frizzy when Thorburn knocks on my door.


End file.
